


Arc 1 - Puppensitting

by Joe_Reaves



Series: Huminals [10]
Category: Empire Records (1995)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Not Human, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Animals, Family, Kid Fic, M/M, Mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-14
Updated: 2010-04-14
Packaged: 2017-10-08 22:58:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/80372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joe_Reaves/pseuds/Joe_Reaves
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A scene from the lives of the puppens.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Arc 1 - Puppensitting

Joe pulled Lucas onto the dance floor and pressed up against him. They were oblivious to the crowds of huminals and humans around them as they danced, lost in the sensations of movement and music, touching along their entire bodies. Lucas wrapped his tail round Joe's waist and slipped one of his thighs between Joe's legs. Groaning softly, he pulled his mate close and kissed him deeply, only pulling back when they were jostled by another dancer and he remembered where they were.

Joe smiled down at him. "I told you we needed a break. Between Mark and Warren and all four cubs, you've barely been out of our apartment in weeks. If we didn't have a garden, you wouldn't have been out at all."

Lucas blushed. "I just worry about the kittens, especially now that they're starting to crawl and get into everything."

Joe kissed his nose. "I know, pretty kitty, and I'm not trying to make you change, but we need some time for us, away from all the children. AJ can look after his brothers and the cubs have their own nanny to keep them out of trouble."

Lucas sighed and snuggled closer. "I know and we're still in the same building if they need us. I'm overprotective, but I can't help myself. I never want anything to happen to them if I can prevent it; I won't let any more kittens die because of me."

Joe kissed him again and shook his head. "What happened when you were a slave wasn't your fault, kitty. Come on, let's go upstairs and actually eat at the bar instead of in the kitchen for a change."

The evening passed quickly and soon Berko was helping the last of their customers out of the bar and locking the doors behind them. He smiled at Joe and Lucas.

"Go on, go to bed, bosses," he told them. "I'll clean up here. You look like you could do with a nice quiet night. Your kittens are cute but they're exhausting to be around."

Joe laughed. "Thanks, Berko. Don't stay up too late; we can clear up in the morning."

Lucas and Joe slipped through the door to the private part of the building quietly, not wanting to wake any of the cubs. They checked the living room first and found AJ and Deb curled up together on the couch, fast asleep. Warren was snuggled in between them and Mark was hanging upside down on the climbing bars, swinging softly. Joe smiled fondly and let Lucas pick the sleepy cub up. He beckoned to Mark.

"Come on," he told him quietly. "You should have been in bed hours ago. Go with Lucas and Warren."

Mark pouted but let go of the bar, somersaulting in mid air so he landed on his feet. He hugged Joe tightly and got a goodnight kiss before running after Lucas and his brother.

Joe knelt down by the couch and touched AJ's shoulder gently. "Come on, wake up. If you sleep here you'll be exhausted tomorrow."

"Huh?" He blinked sleepily up at Joe and then shook himself. "Dad! I'm sorry. We didn't mean to fall asleep." He looked around frantically for his brothers and Joe put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's all right. Lucas is putting them to bed." He tugged AJ up. "You and Deb did a good job. Go to bed and get some sleep. Both of you," he added with a smile at Deb, who was rubbing her eyes tiredly.

Trusting them to be able to find their room on their own, he peeked into the nursery to see how the cubs were doing. He had to put his hand over his mouth hurriedly to muffle the laughter. The nursery had a gate across the door to stop the cubs getting out, although how much longer it would be effective against Selene was debatable, and then the whole floor was one large mattress so they could play and sleep safely. In the middle of the room, stretched out on stomach with her head on her paws, was the children's nanny. Faramir was a hound. Humans classed them as huminals like all the others, sub human, but in fact they were more like super intelligent animals. She couldn't talk, although between the wide variety of sounds she could make and her very expressive face, she rarely had trouble communicating, and she walked on all fours like one of the dogs whose genes she carried, but she could read and use her initiative to complete tasks. Some huminals compared them to children, but they weren't. The adult hounds were as responsible as any human adult; they were also incredibly loyal, very patient, and terribly protective of their charges. Some people used them as guard dogs, but their real strength was as protectors of children, especially canine or lupine huminal cubs.

Her head was laid on her paws, but her eyes were open and she wagged her tail lazily as she saw Joe watching her. Castor and Pollux were curled up together in a ball against her side and she was curled around them slightly. Arcas was laid next to her muzzle, his tiny nose resting next to hers on one of her paws, and Selene was curled up, catlike, in a ball, her tail covering her nose, right between Faramir's shoulder blades. Joe wished he had his camera so he could take a picture of the long-suffering hound as Selene used her as a pillow, but he knew he'd get another chance. It seemed whenever Faramir stayed still for more than a few seconds Selene would jump on her back and sit there.

He waved and smiled to Faramir and then crept away again without waking the cubs. If they wanted to come and join him and Lucas later, Faramir would open the gate and herd them down the corridor before going back to catch some puppyless sleep for as long as she could.


End file.
